Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...the first battalion of the new Iraqi Army has graduated and is on active duty·

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...over 60,000 Iraqis now provide security to their fellow citizens.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...nearly all of Iraq’s 400 courts are functioning.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... the Iraqi judiciary is fully independent.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...on Monday, October 6 power generation hit 4,518 megawatts—exceeding the pre-war average.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...all 22 universities and 43 technical institutes and colleges are open, as are nearly all primary and secondary schools.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1, by October 1, Coalition forces had rehabbed over 1,500 schools - 500 more than their target.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... teachers earn from 12 to 25 times their former salaries.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...all 240 hospitals and more than 1200 clinics are open.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...doctors’ salaries are at least eight times what they were under Saddam.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...pharmaceutical distribution has gone from essentially nothing to 700 tons in May to a current total of 12,000 tons.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...the Coalition has helped administer over 22 million vaccination doses to Iraq’s children.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...a Coalition program has cleared over 14,000 kilometers of Iraq's 27,000 kilometers of weed-choked canals. They now irrigate tens of thousands of farms. This project has created jobs for more than 100,000 Iraqi men and women.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...we have restored over three-quarters of pre-war telephone services and over two-thirds of the potable water production.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... there are 4,900 full-service connections.We expect 50,000 by January first.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...the wheels of commerce are turning. From bicycles to satellite dishes to cars and trucks, businesses are coming to life in all major cities and towns.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...95 percent of all pre-war bank customers have service and first-time customers are opening accounts daily.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... Iraqi banks are making loans to finance businesses.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...the central bank is fully independent.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...Iraq has one of the world’s most growth-oriented investment and banking laws.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...Iraq (has) a single, unified currency for the first time in 15 years.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...satellite dishes are legal.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...foreign journalists aren't on 10-day visas paying mandatory and extortionate fees to the Ministry of Information for “minders” and other government spies.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... there is no Ministry of Information.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...there are more than 170 newspapers.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... you can buy satellite dishes on what seems like every street corner.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... foreign journalists and everyone else are free to come and go.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...a nation that had not one single element—legislative, judicial or executive-- of a representative government, does.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...in Baghdad alone residents have selected 88 advisory councils. Baghdad’s first democratic transfer of power in 35 years happened when the city council elected its new chairman.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...today in Iraq chambers of commerce, business, school and professional organizations are electing their leaders all over the country.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... 25 ministers, selected by the most representative governing body in Iraq’s history, run the day-to-day business of government.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...the Iraqi government regularly participates in international events. Since July the Iraqi government has been represented in over two dozen international meetings, including those of the UN General Assembly, the Arab League, the World Bank and IMF and, today, the Islamic Conference Summit. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs today announced that it is reopening over 30 Iraqi embassies around the world.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...Shia religious festivals that were all but banned, aren't.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...for the first time in 35 years, in Karbala thousands of Shiites celebrate the pilgrimage of the 12th Imam.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...the Coalition has completed over 13,000 reconstruction projects, large and small, as part of (a) strategic plan for the reconstruction of Iraq.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...Uday and Queasy are dead - and no longer feeding innocent Iraqis to his zoo lions, raping the young daughters of local leaders to force cooperation, torturing Iraq's soccer players for losing games...murdering critics.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...children aren't imprisoned or murdered when their parents disagree with the government.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...political opponents aren't imprisoned, tortured, executed, maimed, or are forced to watch their families die for disagreeing with Saddam.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...millions of longsuffering Iraqis no longer live in perpetual terror.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...Saudis will hold municipal elections.*

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... Qatar is reforming education to give more choices to parents.*

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... Jordan is accelerating market economic reforms.*

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded for the first time to an Iranian -- a Muslim woman who speaks out with courage for human rights, for democracy and for peace.*

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...he has not faltered or failed.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...Saddam is gone.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... Iraq is free.

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